Hope for Justice Ethiopia was invited to attend an important high-level regional conference, called the African Business and Human Rights Forum 2023.
The event, held from 5th-7th September 2023, took place in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, following on from a successful inaugural event for the Forum in Ghana in 2022.
The Forum brought together stakeholders across Africa to take stock of progress and discuss challenges and opportunities for promoting responsible business and human rights conduct and corporate accountability in the region. The Forum is convened by the African Union and co-organised by the United Nations Development Programme, The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), the Working Group and UNICEF, in collaboration with local, regional, continental and international actors.
This year’s theme was “For Africa, From Africa”, which reflects the importance of local perspectives and solutions in the collective effort to implement the UNGPs. By highlighting African voices and perspectives, the Forum emphasised the African way of delivering the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
Hope for Justice Ethiopia Director, Dereje Zeleke (pictured above, left), who attended the event, said: “It was hugely beneficial to be part of these discussions about regional efforts, while creating partnership with like-minded organisations. The seven sessions provided a comprehensive overview of the current state of business and human rights in Africa, highlighting recent advancements, challenges, and the myriad opportunities. The sessions explored the evolving legal frameworks, regulations, and governance structures in Africa, as well as the dynamic nature of implementing the UNGPs through African perspectives.”
